Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie warned early Thursday that Iran will not implement its commitments unless the US and Israel uphold theirs, and firmly rejected the removal of enriched uranium from Iran as a path forward. He also threw into doubt the planned Friday talks in Switzerland, following the signing of the memorandum of understanding.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaie issued a sweeping statement early Thursday, laying out Tehran's red lines as the US-Iran memorandum of understanding takes shape. Baghaie declared that a key element unacceptable to Iran is the removal of enriched uranium from the country, framing enrichment reduction as a mechanism that blocks alternative options — but not export. He warned that continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon would constitute a breach of the MoU and that the US bears responsibility for enforcing Israeli compliance. Baghaie also noted that the Friday talks planned in Switzerland are no longer certain after the signing, and that separate negotiations on frozen assets, reconstruction, and oil sanctions relief ran parallel to the main text. Drawing on past experience, he expressed deep distrust of US compliance with financial commitments. The statement, which Baghaie opened with a security-field disclaimer, appears to be a calibrated message both to Washington and to domestic hardliners ahead of implementation. Earlier this week, as The Zioneer reported, Baghaie had warned that Iran does not separate the US from Israel, though he acknowledged differences in their methods. The nuclear dimension — and particularly the fate of Iran's enriched stockpile — remains one of the most contentious points in the emerging framework.
2 developments
- StrongIran warns US must enforce Lebanon ceasefire obligations from MoU
- StrongIran's Baghaie says continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon violate MoU, warns US
- DevelopingIran confirms nuclear talks framework upholds enrichment and stockpile retention rights
- StrongIran says it will not fulfill commitments while US 'evades' its own obligations
Source and signal
- Internal intake